Article

2009-09-08 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Samurai Mind Training for Modern American Warriors

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by gorb 2009-09-08 01:12|| || Front Page|| [11136 views ] Top

#1 The Defense Department hopes that giving soldiers tools to fend off mental stress will toughen its troops at war and at home.

More oriental hooey from California. Gotta get that mind right eh? Will formation spoon bending be next?

Some other, more traditional suggestions....less frequent combat deployments, time at home with the wife and kids, church, pot roast, apple pie, a couple of beers, regular or irregular sex, football.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-09-08 05:19|| 2009-09-08 05:19|| Front Page Top

#2 Samurai don't take prisoners. Just saying.

Posted by ed 2009-09-08 06:41|| 2009-09-08 06:41|| Front Page Top

#3 Besoeker, there is truth to this. There was a saying in my basic training, "The body don't mind, so the mind don't matter." Basically, the major failing of most people is their mind. It convinces them they can't do it, that something is more interesting, and that you're bored. The mental "toughness" is to teach those that can't figure it out to stay focused. All the time. Inattention to detail has killed more people that all the wars put together. Changing radio stations in your car, daydreaming on a lift, chatting on a cell phone while crossing a street, etc. That is really all this is trying to eliminate before the war god Darwin eliminates those that can't learn it.

Posted by DarthVader 2009-09-08 09:15|| 2009-09-08 09:15|| Front Page Top

#4 Anybody have any specific examples or overall ideas of what is taught here? It looks like they try to teach soldiers to keep a constant focus on what they are doing rather than letting their thoughts drift. Is that all of what they are teaching? What kind of focus? Is it more hand-to-hand kind of stuff, or general focus on overall awareness of threats, or both, or more, or what? What sort of mental gymnastics do they have participants go through? Just practice on maintaining focus for five minutes at a time without worrying about whether or not you locked your car, and then extending it until it is a constant unconscious behavior?

Posted by gorb 2009-09-08 10:40|| 2009-09-08 10:40|| Front Page Top

#5 Good points Darth. Please keep in mind if you will however, the military has been used as a societal Petri dish for years. After today's "teachable moment" to our children from the White House, I'll permit you to draw your own conclusions as to where this type of activity, and other... pharmaceutical solutions might eventually lead. Good discipline, teamwork, and the buddy system will go a long way in strengthening responsibility, self esteem and mental toughness.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-09-08 10:52|| 2009-09-08 10:52|| Front Page Top

#6 'Pepperdogs' by Bing West.

Posted by bman">bman 2009-09-08 11:22|| 2009-09-08 11:22|| Front Page Top

#7 Meditation, imaging, visualizing, and the like have been pretty much standard at Bragg for years. We never sat in a circle holding our belly buttons, and I bet that gets some good laughs. But we were taught to sit and fly the mission, fly it in our chair, with our eyes closed. This brings visualization, a bit of clairity from meditiation and focus. The flag on all this is some instructor is trying to get their name all over it for press, this is what I think Beo smelled on this as well.

Posted by 49 Pan 2009-09-08 13:26|| 2009-09-08 13:26|| Front Page Top

#8 I, myself am anxiously awaiting for the first U.S. led "Banzai" charge.

Posted by borgboy 2009-09-08 14:18|| 2009-09-08 14:18|| Front Page Top

#9 Will formation spoon bending be next?

"There is no spoon"

Posted by Mullah Richard 2009-09-08 16:02|| 2009-09-08 16:02|| Front Page Top

#10 as long as there is no formation spooning...hocus pocus & a quick buck was my first suspicion as well Besoeker.

Posted by Broadhead6 2009-09-08 22:01|| 2009-09-08 22:01|| Front Page Top

23:55 USN, Ret.
23:54 trailing wife
23:48 USN, Ret.
23:44 USN, Ret.
23:37 remoteman
23:26 trailing wife
23:24 Old Patriot
23:17 Old Patriot
22:53 Frank G
22:48 Procopius2k
22:39 trailing wife
22:26 JosephMendiola
22:20 JosephMendiola
22:14 JosephMendiola
22:01 Broadhead6
22:00 logi_cal
21:45 Thing From Snowy Mountain
21:39 Frank G
21:35 Frank G
21:19 Woozle Uneter9007
21:14 Adriane
21:10 texhooey
21:04 Rambler in Virginia
20:59 Eric Jablow